IT Network and Telecommunication - Manager

WA Department of Children, Youth, and Families; Olympia (WA); Hybrid; USD 104,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

WA Department of Children, Youth, and Families is seeking an IT Network and Telecommunication - Manager to lead enterprise network infrastructure, telecommunications, application delivery, and security operations across the state. The role provides strategic leadership, governance, and oversight, ensuring availability, security, and performance of network services for DCYF offices, staff, and systems.

You will develop roadmaps, set standards, mentor staff, manage staffing, and partner with

Qualifications

• Ten years of IT experience total.
• Associate's degree plus eight years IT experience or Bachelor's degree plus six years IT experience.
• Experience leading enterprise network services and working with vendors.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic plans for enterprise network and telecom services.
• Establish service delivery standards, policies, and governance.
• Lead modernization, lifecycle planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Evaluate emerging technologies to support organizational objectives.
• Provide guidance to leadership and project teams on network investments and risks.
• Oversee network infrastructure, telecommunications, application delivery, and related tech.
• Ensure availability, reliability, security, and performance of network services statewide.
• Oversee monitoring, incident response, and service restoration activities.
• Govern network architecture, security controls, and deployment platforms.
• Establish performance expectations and workforce priorities.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and professional development.
• Conduct performance evaluations and manage staffing resources.
• Identify opportunities to improve operations through automation and AI.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder mgmt

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science

Associate's degree in information technology

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

F5 or equivalent

Routing & Switching

Wireless networking

Next-Gen Firewalls

Network Monitoring

Job description

Job Title: IT Network and Telecommunication - Manager

Location: Olympia, WA, Thurston County (Flexible/Hybrid)

Closes: November 18th, 2026

Salary: $104,304.00 - $140,268.00 Annually

This position leads the Network Services function and provides enterprise-level direction for network infrastructure, telecommunications, application delivery services, and network security operations. The role ensures consistent availability, performance, security, and resilience of network services supporting DCYF offices, staff, and business systems statewide

The Opportunity:

The Network Operations Manager provides strategic leadership, governance, and operational oversight for DCYF’s enterprise network and telecommunications environment. This position ensures the ongoing availability, security, reliability, and performance of network infrastructure, telecommunications services, application delivery platforms, and related technologies that support statewide operations.

Some of what you will get to do:

• Develop and implement strategic plans, roadmaps, and operational priorities for enterprise network and telecommunications services.
• Establish service delivery standards, performance measures, policies, procedures, and governance practices.
• Lead infrastructure modernization, lifecycle planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to support organizational objectives.
• Provide consultation and recommendations to leadership, stakeholders, and project teams regarding network-related investments, risks, and opportunities.
• Direct the operation, administration, and continuous improvement of enterprise network infrastructure, telecommunications, application delivery services, and related technologies.
• Ensure the availability, reliability, performance, security, and resiliency of network services supporting statewide operations.
• Oversee network monitoring, incident response, problem management, service restoration, and operational support activities.
• Provide oversight and governance for network architecture, security controls, firewall operations, application delivery platforms, and supporting infrastructure technologies.
• Establish performance expectations, accountability measures, and workforce priorities.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.
• Conduct performance evaluations and address employee performance issues.
• Manage staffing resources, succession planning, and workforce development activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve network operations through automation and AI technologies
• Manage and support enterprise network infrastructure technologies, including application delivery controllers (e.g., F5 or equivalent), enterprise routing and switching, wireless networking, next-generation firewalls, and network monitoring platforms.

Required Qualifications:

Equivalent combination of education and experience in Information Technology, totaling ten (10) years.

OR

An Associate's degree or completion of an accredited vocational training program in an information technology or related program AND eight (8) years of progressively more complex Information Technology experience such as consulting, analyzing, design, programming, installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecommunications, or network infrastructure equipment.

OR

Bachelor's degree in computer science, networking, information systems or a related field AND six (6) years of progressively more complex Information Technology experience such as consulting, analyzing, design, programming, installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecommunications, or network infrastructure equipment.

AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Additional Required Qualifications:

• Three (3) years of experience leading, supervising, or managing (network) technical staff, projects, or enterprise technology services.
• Two (2) years of recent experience (within the last five (5) years), managing or supporting enterprise network infrastructure and telecommunications services in a medium to large organization with multiple locations.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps, lifecycle management plans, infrastructure modernization initiatives, or technology investment recommendations.
• Experience working with vendors, service providers, and business stakeholders to deliver technology solutions and network services.
• Knowledge of network infrastructure technologies, telecommunications services, network security principles, application delivery services, and infrastructure monitoring tools.
• Experience establishing operational standards, policies, procedures, or governance practices related to technology services.
• Demonstrate experience managing or supporting enterprise network infrastructure technologies, including application delivery controllers (e.g., F5 or equivalent), enterprise routing and switching, wireless networking, next-generation firewalls, and network monitoring platforms.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, automation, cloud networking, and intelligent IT operations (AIOps).

*Experience may be gained concurrently.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, ITIL, CISSP, PMP, or equivalent.
• Experience supporting government, healthcare, human services, or other highly regulated environments.
• Experience managing enterprise network services in a large, geographically dispersed organization.

Supplemental Information:

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

DCYF participates in the federal E-Verify program. The selected candidate must provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, consistent with E-Verify requirements, on their first day of employment.